Why what car you drive matters

[MTF]

One pulls up in a beat up dirty Opel Astra while the other guy pulls up in a sexy red Ferrari 488 GTB. And you're the decision maker. Who are you going to pick to do business with? And who would most people pick? I'll pick the Ferrari guy over the former all day, and 9/10 people will probably do the same.

I'd pick the Opel Astra guy because I'd assume the Ferrari guy would overcharge me to keep paying off a car he can't afford.

This, plus I automatically assume that people in fast or expensive cars need to prove something to others and I generally distrust them.

 

[Antifragile]

Ok, this is an interesting topic that I'd like to share with you fellas, and would love to get your thoughts(or personal experiences) with this.

Here's a video of Brad Lea who discusses a matter from Warren Buffet, who said that what you drive doesn't matter.

Warren Buffet does have a point though. He's known worldwide as the "investing god/god of compound interest" and is worth like $80 billion dollars so it's sort of irrelevant for him at 90 years old. But for us who are below his level or are grinding to become very successful, what you drive will matter(it does great things to your confidence too). Especially if you're a business consultant or a real estate agent and you attend physical meetings frequently, then it matters even more.

Look at it from your perspective. You're selling a house, and two real estate agents pull up who are equally skilled and have equal intelligence in their craft. One pulls up in a beat up dirty Opel Astra while the other guy pulls up in a sexy red Ferrari 488 GTB. And you're the decision maker. Who are you going to pick to do business with? And who would most people pick? I'll pick the Ferrari guy over the former all day, and 9/10 people will probably do the same.

Why?
The Ferrari sends a signal to our brain(consciously or subconsciously) that THAT GUY knows what he's doing, and is probably very successful at his craft so he's more qualified. It shows credibility, status, and success all together. And that car sends a message that success is possible for you too(especially if you're a car guy). Many young kids or guys get crazy when they see one in person. If you've ever driven one or own one, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. There ain't nothing better than waking up and seeing a car like that in your garage.

Don't believe me? Watch these experiments by YouTube pranksters who pick up girls in supercars. They never get rejected by these random girls. You may call them gold diggers or what have you but most people would have done the same thing.

Ultimately a car SHOULD never define who you are, it's just icing on the cake after years of hard work. WHO you are as a person and WHAT you think of yourself is the most important thing, what anybody else thinks of you shouldn't f*cking matter to you. And if a badass automobile will help you with increasing your success, then go for it. Just make sure you can afford it

I disagree.

And let me point out that you stacked your argument. You picked a shit dirty car versus a flash *dream* car for most boys on this forum.

I’ve been around raising money for a long while. Let me tell you:
1. What car you drive matters but a Ferrari will lose you deals. You are a douche bag in the eyes of a real investor. You are frivolous and are a wannabe. Why? Because you are still asking something!!! You buy this car when you’ve got F*ck you money.
2. Clean good car is what sends the right message. If you are a realtor, it’s about space and convenience for your clients! So an SUV would make a lot more sense than a useless Ferrari.

Ironically, I talked to my friend at the dealership for super cars - most are financed! if my realtor shows up in a Ferrari, I assume he’s an idiot. Just my 0.02 cents. Do what you will with that.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Look at it from your perspective. You're selling a house, and two real estate agents pull up who are equally skilled and have equal intelligence in their craft. One pulls up in a beat up dirty Opel Astra while the other guy pulls up in a sexy red Ferrari 488 GTB. And you're the decision maker. Who are you going to pick to do business with? And who would most people pick? I'll pick the Ferrari guy over the former all day, and 9/10 people will probably do the same.

I didn't watch the video, but taking the question to heart...

I would hire neither.

The Ferrari guy is overcompensating for something, or overcharging. I view this guy as douchy, and highly inappropriate to show up to a client's house in his "trophy", even if he was selling my $5M+ house.

The Dirty Opel Astra also shows a lack of care and attention to details.

Both cases show a person who fails to read the room, almost like a referee in a basketball game.

The best referees go unnoticed. When you notice them, that's when they are failing.

 

[Andy Black]

I'd pick the Opel Astra guy because I'd assume the Ferrari guy would overcharge me to keep paying off a car he can't afford.

This, plus I automatically assume that people in fast or expensive cars need to prove something to others and I generally distrust them.

This. Except I wouldn’t pick someone in a dirty car (unless it’s a jeep and/or fresh dirt).

I agree that what you drive and wear makes a difference. In the UK, Ireland, and maybe the rest of Europe you’d likely not be judged favourably showing up in something that stands out too much. Read into that what you will.

Personally, I like my car and phone and take a certain glee if someone judges me unfavourably by my (clean) 2006 Toyota Corolla or iPhone 5SE.

 

[Andy Black]

Yeah the flashy cars may be more of an American thing. I mean, you can obviously see expensive cars in Europe, too, but few people would do more business with a guy in an expensive car, particularly in a corporate environment.

Depends what type of expensive car. A dark coloured top end Range Rover, Merc, BMW, Jag, etc. That says “class”.

Turn up in an expensive sports car and it *could be* akin to a youngster turning up with loud exhaust and spoilers.

Yes, what you drive matters. It depends if you’re trying to impress someone and what impresses them.

Know your audience/market.

 

[K1 Lambo]

Ok, this is an interesting topic that I'd like to share with you fellas, and would love to get your thoughts(or personal experiences) with this.

Here's a video of Brad Lea who discusses a matter from Warren Buffet, who said that what you drive doesn't matter.

Warren Buffet does have a point though. He's known worldwide as the "investing god/god of compound interest" and is worth like $80 billion dollars so it's sort of irrelevant for him at 90 years old. But for us who are below his level or are grinding to become very successful, what you drive will matter(it does great things to your confidence too). Especially if you're a business consultant or a real estate agent and you attend physical meetings frequently, then it matters even more.

Look at it from your perspective. You're selling a house, and two real estate agents pull up who are equally skilled and have equal intelligence in their craft. One pulls up in a beat up dirty Opel Astra while the other guy pulls up in a sexy red Ferrari 488 GTB. And you're the decision maker. Who are you going to pick to do business with? And who would most people pick? I'll pick the Ferrari guy over the former all day, and 9/10 people will probably do the same.

Why?
The Ferrari sends a signal to our brain(consciously or subconsciously) that THAT GUY knows what he's doing, and is probably very successful at his craft so he's more qualified. It shows credibility, status, and success all together. And that car sends a message that success is possible for you too(especially if you're a car guy). Many young kids or guys get crazy when they see one in person. If you've ever driven one or own one, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. There ain't nothing better than waking up and seeing a car like that in your garage.

Don't believe me? Watch these experiments by YouTube pranksters who pick up girls in supercars. They never get rejected by these random girls. You may call them gold diggers or what have you but most people would have done the same thing.

Ultimately a car SHOULD never define who you are, it's just icing on the cake after years of hard work. WHO you are as a person and WHAT you think of yourself is the most important thing, what anybody else thinks of you shouldn't F*cking matter to you. And if a badass automobile will help you with increasing your success, then go for it. Just make sure you can afford it

 

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[hexelbyte]

In an era where people play lego with their bodies and Barbie with their lives, hard to say if people that have exotic cars actually own them.

Attention seeking has increased while attention span decreased.

I get what you are saying, the major of people, when asked "What is wealth?" Would say exotic cars, mansions, expensive apparel. So, if your goal is to appeal to the masses, you know what to do.

It's rare to see people that drive exotic cars, actually own them. Most are looking for attention, for a monthly fee.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Who would you hire then? A guy who pulls up in a bike?

Are you being serious or just facetious?

My real estate agent drove an Infiniti sedan... it was practical, modest, and reliable -- it was understated and demonstrated professionalism.

My other real estate agent drove a Chevy Tahoe, again, practical and relevant to his job, and I'm sure he was worth 8-figures as well. He wasn't interested in making a flamboyant statement on the job. In fact, I'd guarantee you anyone looking for a $5M - $10M house would be turned off at some RE agent rolling up in a Ferrari, but yea, it might impress the guy looking for the $350K starter.

 

[Antifragile]

Confidence is a state of mind your body rewards you with for doing hard things. Don’t fall for the trap so many fall into thinking that confidence can be bought. It can’t.

This is a very powerful statement and 100% true. Yes, shiny things (like Rolex, cars etc) can make you feel like you’ve gained confidence. But real confidence isn’t that. There is something about people with deep inner confidence that we find attractive. People who show up and have a presence. You see them walk in the room and people just pay attention. You don’t even know why or what car they drive. They just have it. It’s inner confidence that great leaders possess. I wonder if @Kak would want to do an episode on confidence for entrepreneurs.

 

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[MTF]

I agree that what you drive and wear makes a difference. In the UK, Ireland, and maybe the rest of Europe you’d likely not be judged favourably showing up in something that stands out too much. Read into that what you will.

Yeah the flashy cars may be more of an American thing. I mean, you can obviously see expensive cars in Europe, too, but few people would do more business with a guy in an expensive car, particularly in a corporate environment.

 

[Fox]

I disagree.

And let me point out that you stacked your argument. You picked a shit dirty car versus a flash *dream* car for most boys on this forum.

I’ve been around raising money for a long while. Let me tell you:
1. What car you drive matters but a Ferrari will lose you deals. You are a douche bag in the eyes of a real investor. You are frivolous and are a wannabe. Why? Because you are still asking something!!! You buy this car when you’ve got f*ck you money.
2. Clean good car is what sends the right message. If you are a realtor, it’s about space and convenience for your clients! So an SUV would make a lot more sense than a useless Ferrari.

Ironically, I talked to my friend at the dealership for super cars - most are financed! if my realtor shows up in a Ferrari, I assume he’s an idiot. Just my 0.02 cents. Do what you will with that.

Exactly.

"Who you going to trust more - a guy in a dirty t-shirt or someone in a $40,000 Tom Ford suit"

There is a middle ground here - viewing this on such extreme ends of the spectrum is not useful.

 

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[Guest-5ty5s4]

There are sooooooooo many more factors.

I watched the video, and the line he said about how you treat your car is true.

It's more important that you take care of the things you have, rather than how fancy those things are. That's what really tells me what kind of person you are.

 

[Mathuin]

Look at it from your perspective. You're selling a house, and two real estate agents pull up who are equally skilled and have equal intelligence in their craft. One pulls up in a beat up dirty Opel Astra while the other guy pulls up in a sexy red Ferrari 488 GTB. And you're the decision maker. Who are you going to pick to do business with? And who would most people pick? I'll pick the Ferrari guy over the former all day, and 9/10 people will probably do the same.

I'd pick the guy in the Ferrari.

Don't believe me? Watch these experiments by YouTube pranksters who pick up girls in supercars. They never get rejected by these random girls. You may call them gold diggers or what have you but most people would have done the same thing.

Most of these are complete bullshit using actors. But I get your point.

View: https://youtu.be/qGrx_cE4o4A


I'd assume one of the main benefits that comes from owning an expensive car comes from the networking at super car meetups and drives etc.

 

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[Antifragile]

@Martin Z

I agree with Gary V - if you work for a company you hate, in a job you hate, just so you can afford your BMW lease payments? You are doing it all wrong.

Hear me out on this, I don't hate anyone who owns a Ferrari. I think they are cool cars. I also like G-Wagons and my car is pretty damn nice too. It's not about that. My point is that your original post made it sound like for success we should go and buy a shiny cool Ferrari. Which I disagreed with. Meaning your argument was kind of stacked in favour of that Ferrari against a shit bucket Opel.

And another irony is that people who want the coolest car are usually the ones that can least afford it. That desire fades fast when a car goes from "OMG I wish I could have it" to "OK, I got cash to pay for it but why am I not even excited?"

Last year I had a funny story happen to me. I put a deposit on the brand new (just released) Range Rover. We were having coffee and I was introduced to another business owner in my industry. We hit it off, started talking kids, properties, then got a little into cars. Felt pretty good. Then 5 min into it, he goes "Oh yeah, last year I found a new plane for my company, we got it a few months ago, want to see it?" Check-mate. He doesn't own a Ferrari .

Once you are successful, do whatever you want with your money. Enjoy it. Just don’t confuse looking successful with being successful. Even the guy in the video warned against being a pretender.

 

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[Fox]

Everyone tries to buy that lines up with their views on values and status - relevant to how they gauge status.

Warren Buffet likes his car pick because it aligns with his"smart money" mindset and also his background.

You can see how he thinks about similar purchases like a private jet or a yacht...







Brad Lee on the other hand is going to have a different model of status and a different set of values.
It is likely he is going to drive something much more flashy cause that is what his audience/status is focused on.

"Look at it from your perspective. You're selling a house, and two real estate agents pull up who are equally skilled and have equal intelligence in their craft. One pulls up in a beat up dirty Opel Astra while the other guy pulls up in a sexy red Ferrari 488 GTB. And you're the decision maker. Who are you going to pick to do business with? And who would most people pick? I'll pick the Ferrari guy over the former all day, and 9/10 people will probably do the same."

Well, context matters here - is this house I am selling in Beverly Hills or is it a small 100k house in Ohio?
A lot of people in certain situations would be put off from dealing with someone driving a Ferrari.

"Don't believe me? Watch these experiments by YouTube pranksters who pick up girls in supercars. They never get rejected by these random girls. You may call them gold diggers or what have you but most people would have done the same thing."

A LOT of this stuff is fake ha.

Don't get me wrong - I love supercars.
But context is king for what is going to make the most sense to drive.

 

[biophase]

I don't know man. Maybe it just depends on the person.

On one hand, I know a good amount of very wealthy real estate investors who drive fancy cars to their meetings and they make deals regardless of what the "real" investors think of them. They got fu money and drive their Ferraris and Bentleys to all meetings and they seal the deals.

You go from somebody making a first impression to some people going to an investor meeting. Those are two very different occasions.

Your argument here does not make sense.

In the real world if somebody is showing up to an investor meeting, it doesn’t matter what kind of car they show up in. Does the fact that they show up in a cheaper car mean that they can’t afford the investment? Will their money be refused?

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Slightly off topic but... Were the potential (rich) neighbors a factor in favor of you moving there?

Yes.

Would you move to a place without wealthy neighbors as long as you could find the right house?

No.

I'm not interested in sticking out ... I view that as the equivalent of parking a Ferrari in a poor neighborhood. You simply become a target by just existing, or a worse, you become a target for the latest media-driven "those evil rich people" narratives.

That said, I live in an interesting neighborhood. My house is located in a pretty standard upper middle-class neighborhood. My next door neighbor has around 1,500 square feet, across the street 4,000, a few doors down its 6,000, I have 13,000.

A 1 minute drive up the hill and all the houses are mega-mansions, for example, this one is about a 5 minute walk from my home, which is very similar to mine.

 

[biophase]

Are you being serious or just facetious?

My real estate agent drove an Infiniti sedan... it was practical, modest, and reliable -- it was understated and demonstrated professionalism.

My other real estate agent drove a Chevy Tahoe, again, practical and relevant to his job, and I'm sure he was worth 8-figures as well. He wasn't interested in making a flamboyant statement on the job. In fact, I'd guarantee you anyone looking for a $5M - $10M house would be turned off at some RE agent rolling up in a Ferrari, but yea, it might impress the guy looking for the $350K starter.

The OP doesn't understand that you aren't driving that car for yourself if you are a realtor, you drive it for your clients. The last thing I want to do is ride around for 4 hours in a Ferrari to look at houses LOL. If a realtor pulled up in that, I'd be like, "I'm driving and I'll follow you."

Let's see, my real estate agent's cars. Well, there's the Infiniti. A Cadillac Escalade. A Chevy Trailblazer. An Acura TSX. A Subaru Outback and a Chevy Tahoe. Nope, no Ferraris or sports cars anywhere close.

The problem here is that the OP is making an extreme argument. You either have a dumpy a$$ car or an exotic. What about a Honda Accord vs a Mercedes S600? I bet you aren't choosing because of the car. I bet you will choose the person that interviewed better. If they both interview exactly the same, Who are you picking @Martin Z?

BTW, I sold my McLaren to a real estate agent that was 21 years old. I highly doubt that he drives it to listing appointments, but I will ask him (not sure if he will answer me) and let you know.

 

[Johnny boy]

Just be honest with yourself and buy the Ferrari. You want it because it makes you feel like a goddamn winner, not because it's a wise purchase.

As for hiring a real estate agent, it's not about who YOU would hire. I assume you people are above average intelligence. You should be making decisions based on how competent you believe they are at their job, not based on their car.

Average people though, they DO decide based on those things. However, many of us do not signup customers in person and it makes little difference what car we are driving. It's still okay to get the supercar. Buy it, finance it, lease it...who cares...it's your choice and it's likely not financially beneficial, but neither is going to the movies, getting the nicer steak, buying a good set of clothes, etc. Life is yours to decide and more important than anything else is that you're following your gut and listening to yourself when you make decisions.

If your business is making 25k a month profit after taxes and you go lease a lambo for 3k a month, now you're bringing in 22k a month, who cares? Go get it, you'll be fine. You still have plenty to pour back in, live in a nice home, go out and eat good food, go on nice vacations, etc. Do you. Live your life.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

you guys are taking it too literally

Not really.

Context matters, that's the point.

Again, if I invited a friend over and he rolled in with a Lambo, I'd think "Cool! Good for you!"

But if was meeting a new lawyer who was going to prepare a trust for me and he showed up in a Ferrari, I'd immediately question my decision. Again, first impressions matter, both on the austentacious side, and on the junky side (a 20 year old rusty Corolla)

These days cars seem to impress those who are easily impressed. Why do you think "internet gurus" like using exotic cars as props for their BS? Second, you don't need to make a lot of $ to afford (lease) one, so some guy barely making 6-figures a year can front a story that's he's some big financial expert.

It's one of the many reasons why I dumped my Lambo and stopped posing around it (back when it wasn't as abused) because I felt it didn't add to my credibility, rather took away from it. It also would have attracted the wrong audience.

You mean you see them around town or just in your area? Don't you live in a pretty wealthy area, like Bel Air Utah version?

In my area. Yes, where I live is one of the most expensive places in Utah (outside of Park City) which is a combination of rich Mormons and rich Silicon Valley transplants. Still, there are a mix of big mansions here, and small tiny ranches + farmlands (which often sell for $1M+) which is wonderful for the folks who have been here for years. In fact, I just looked at a piece of land here that was 4 acres... they wanted $3.5M for it. That to me is insanity, but someone will pay it.

 

[Johnny boy]

Showing up to give lawn care quotes in a Lamborghini after this

 

[JJnosleep369]

Ok, this is an interesting topic that I'd like to share with you fellas, and would love to get your thoughts(or personal experiences) with this.

Here's a video of Brad Lea who discusses a matter from Warren Buffet, who said that what you drive doesn't matter.

Warren Buffet does have a point though. He's known worldwide as the "investing god/god of compound interest" and is worth like $80 billion dollars so it's sort of irrelevant for him at 90 years old. But for us who are below his level or are grinding to become very successful, what you drive will matter(it does great things to your confidence too). Especially if you're a business consultant or a real estate agent and you attend physical meetings frequently, then it matters even more.

Look at it from your perspective. You're selling a house, and two real estate agents pull up who are equally skilled and have equal intelligence in their craft. One pulls up in a beat up dirty Opel Astra while the other guy pulls up in a sexy red Ferrari 488 GTB. And you're the decision maker. Who are you going to pick to do business with? And who would most people pick? I'll pick the Ferrari guy over the former all day, and 9/10 people will probably do the same.

Why?
The Ferrari sends a signal to our brain(consciously or subconsciously) that THAT GUY knows what he's doing, and is probably very successful at his craft so he's more qualified. It shows credibility, status, and success all together. And that car sends a message that success is possible for you too(especially if you're a car guy). Many young kids or guys get crazy when they see one in person. If you've ever driven one or own one, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. There ain't nothing better than waking up and seeing a car like that in your garage.

Don't believe me? Watch these experiments by YouTube pranksters who pick up girls in supercars. They never get rejected by these random girls. You may call them gold diggers or what have you but most people would have done the same thing.

Ultimately a car SHOULD never define who you are, it's just icing on the cake after years of hard work. WHO you are as a person and WHAT you think of yourself is the most important thing, what anybody else thinks of you shouldn't f*cking matter to you. And if a badass automobile will help you with increasing your success, then go for it. Just make sure you can afford it

I agree with Warren Buffet, as long as your car isn't dirty, and very scratched all over it doesn't really matter. The rich know and recognize each other. But I think that following Crafting a "luxury" car like a BMW, AUDI, or even any classy sedan brand might help get more customers.
Nevertheless playboy cars uh... i don't know

 

[Speculatooor]

It really depends, but overall the message is right. Appearance is a large part of how people judge you, which is important if you are working with clients. The type of car you drive, clothes you wear, level of fitness, haircut, etc. all give signs to the outer world about yourself. People notice those signs and make judgements.

Some people give more weight to certain things than others. I find the trashbag he is wearing a turn-off for example.

The best is when you are at a point where you are not bound by giving off the right impressions to other people and are just able to buy whatever car you like the most. (And I mean 'not bound' financially as well as mentally).

 

[Guyfieri5]

Ok, this is an interesting topic that I'd like to share with you fellas, and would love to get your thoughts(or personal experiences) with this.

Here's a video of Brad Lea who discusses a matter from Warren Buffet, who said that what you drive doesn't matter.

Warren Buffet does have a point though. He's known worldwide as the "investing god/god of compound interest" and is worth like $80 billion dollars so it's sort of irrelevant for him at 90 years old. But for us who are below his level or are grinding to become very successful, what you drive will matter(it does great things to your confidence too). Especially if you're a business consultant or a real estate agent and you attend physical meetings frequently, then it matters even more.

Look at it from your perspective. You're selling a house, and two real estate agents pull up who are equally skilled and have equal intelligence in their craft. One pulls up in a beat up dirty Opel Astra while the other guy pulls up in a sexy red Ferrari 488 GTB. And you're the decision maker. Who are you going to pick to do business with? And who would most people pick? I'll pick the Ferrari guy over the former all day, and 9/10 people will probably do the same.

Why?
The Ferrari sends a signal to our brain(consciously or subconsciously) that THAT GUY knows what he's doing, and is probably very successful at his craft so he's more qualified. It shows credibility, status, and success all together. And that car sends a message that success is possible for you too(especially if you're a car guy). Many young kids or guys get crazy when they see one in person. If you've ever driven one or own one, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. There ain't nothing better than waking up and seeing a car like that in your garage.

Don't believe me? Watch these experiments by YouTube pranksters who pick up girls in supercars. They never get rejected by these random girls. You may call them gold diggers or what have you but most people would have done the same thing.

Ultimately a car SHOULD never define who you are, it's just icing on the cake after years of hard work. WHO you are as a person and WHAT you think of yourself is the most important thing, what anybody else thinks of you shouldn't f*cking matter to you. And if a badass automobile will help you with increasing your success, then go for it. Just make sure you can afford it

I tend to lean the other way. While owning an expensive sports car is a cool thing and I’d never say anything take that away from someone, I don’t think confidence should come from something external, like a car.

If Opel guy knew what the hell he was doing and showed heart and a strong desire to help me achieve my goals, I’d go with him hands down. I don’t care what anyone drives.

Personally, my wife and I share a 6-year-old SUV. I drive a company vehicle for work that I don’t pay a dime for. I derive my confidence from setting hard goals and achieving them. Confidence is a state of mind your body rewards you with for doing hard things. Don’t fall for the trap so many fall into thinking that confidence can be bought. It can’t. The excitement of buying a new car wears off in 2 weeks, the feeling you get for being a hardcore goal-achieving machine lasts a lifetime.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Do you even see supercars where you live in that cold?

I see them every day whenever it isn't snowing.

One acre of vacant land in my town costs $1,000,000, so I doubt they're parking their Lambo at their one-bedroom apartment.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Ever hear of a famous financial book from the 1940's titled "Where are the customers' yachts?"

Anyone remember the "Billy Banker" story in UNSCRIPTED ? Billy Banker takes Joe Investor on a tour of his yacht, his limos, and his mansion in beautiful Greenwich CT. Impressed, Joe Investor asks "Wow, if you live here in absolute luxury, where do your customers live?"

Billy takes Joe on a ride in his BMW 7-Series to Bridgeport CT and pulls down a narrow street decorated with telephone poles, ratty cars, and broken down homes.



Billy Banker smiles and says to Joe Investor, "This my friend, is where my customers live."

 

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[biophase]

If you were making $10M / year though, would you still think cars are stupid and say they're materialistic? Or would you be buying a nice new car?

When someone is driving around in a £200-400K+ Car, they have a completely different mindset to the average joe and that is why they have the ability to buy something as expensive as that. It almost sounds like a self limiting belief that you don't deserve something nice, because it's expensive or the cost of depreciation is too much to handle

I think what's interesting here is that people often think that wealthy people expensive cars as a way to show off. But what I can tell you is that people either like certain things or they don't. And whatever they seem to like, they spend more money on. But they are not buying them because they don't like them and simply want status. There really is no need for someone who has $10M to show off what they have.

I mean if you have $10M, does your $2M home mean you are showing off? A $100k car is 1% of your net worth. A $50k watch is 0.5%. A fancy designer purse is 0.05%. These things become somewhat meaningless in terms of financial decisions. The person buying these things is not thinking, if I get this XXX, everyone will think I'm even more of a baller.

They are just buying what they want, and these things just happen to be expensive to an average person.

 

[Antifragile]

I don't know man. Maybe it just depends on the person.

On one hand, I know a good amount of very wealthy real estate investors who drive fancy cars to their meetings and they make deals regardless of what the "real" investors think of them. They got fu money and drive their Ferraris and Bentleys to all meetings and they seal the deals.

So you're saying that just because someone owns a Ferrari or a Lambo is a wannabe? What if the guy is proud of his achievements and enjoys his life?

Dude, if they have fu money, they buy fu cars! By definition, those who are very wealthy and have fu money aren't "grinding" as you put it below. Why are you shifting your original argument?

But for us who are below his level or are grinding to become very successful, what you drive will matter(it does great things to your confidence too). Especially if you're a business consultant or a real estate agent and you attend physical meetings frequently, then it matters even more.

I'll repeat. If you are still grinding as some realtor or "consultant", then I am telling you - keep grinding. A Ferrari won't help you secure sophisticated investors or clients anymore than your shit dirty Opel . The focus is all wrong.

Alright, so spill the beans? Did you just buy a super car and having buyers remorse? Is this why this thread exists?

 

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[Guyfieri5]

It really depends, but overall the message is right. Appearance is a large part of how people judge you, which is important if you are working with clients. The type of car you drive, clothes you wear, level of fitness, haircut, etc. all give signs to the outer world about yourself. People notice those signs and make judgements.

Some people give more weight to certain things than others. I find the trashbag he is wearing a turn-off for example.

The best is when you are at a point where you are not bound by giving off the right impressions to other people and are just able to buy whatever car you like the most. (And I mean 'not bound' financially as well as mentally).

I agree. At some level appearances matter (having good hygiene), but at the end of the day, confidence shouldn't come from something like an expensive car. That mindset is just a financial disaster waiting to happen.

 

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[AnNvr]

In an era of rented lambos of income YouTubers and flashy stuffs bragged by any classe level of bro-marketers to sell their subrscription model, a car as a meter to measure the level of wealth (and related knowledge of how to build it) is simply meaningless.

The only millionaire I know does not even own a car.